JP2024093125A - Pouch - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a pouch that is easy to use and allows easy refilling without increasing costs. [Solution] The pouch body has a seal portion, a storage chamber, and a pouring portion. The seal portion has a first side seal portion that is disposed on one edge of the pouch body in the width direction and extends in the vertical direction, and a second side seal portion that is disposed on the other edge of the pouch body in the width direction. The pouring portion is disposed on the upper side of the pouch body, closer to the first side seal portion. The second side seal portion has an insertion hole that extends in the vertical direction and penetrates in the lamination direction of two flexible films, a handle portion that is disposed on the outer side of the insertion hole in the width direction, a first portion that is disposed above the insertion hole and extends inward in the width direction from the upper end of the handle portion, and a second portion that is disposed above the first portion with a gap therebetween and extends from the inner side to the outer side in the width direction, and has a finger insertion portion formed in a bag shape that opens outward in the width direction, is recessed inward, and connects the first portion and the second portion. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a pouch.

In recent years, refill products for liquid products have been increasing in content (large-capacity products) for reasons of cost (economy) and consumer convenience (reduced purchasing frequency).
As a refill product, for example, a pouch (e.g., a standing pouch) having a storage part made of a film and a spout (liquid dispensing part) for dispensing the liquid product stored in the storage part is widely used (e.g., Patent Document 1). Since the pouch is made of a film, it can reduce the amount of plastic used and greatly contribute to environmental friendliness, but on the other hand, the film has a property that it is flexible and easily changes shape under its own weight. Therefore, there is a problem that the operability during the refilling operation is reduced.

As one solution, there is a currently available standing pouch in which air is filled into the heat-sealed edge of the pouch body to make it easier to hold, but the introduction of this type of pouch requires equipment, which creates cost issues. Patent Document 2 discloses a pouch that has a handle on the side opposite the side where the pouring nozzle is formed, which is shaped to fit into the punching section. With the pouch in Patent Document 2, the refilling operation can be performed safely and easily, as the handle can be held.

JP 2021-54484 A JP 2011-1099 A

The handle of the pouch in Patent Document 2 extends in the vertical direction, with an opening provided in the middle of the vertical direction relative to the side seal portion, and the upper and lower ends connected to the side seal portion of the pouch body.
Therefore, when a user inserts a finger into the opening to grip the handle, the pouch body wobbles relative to the handle, reducing operability. In particular, when the pouch body is large-capacity and heavy, the wobbling becomes significant, making refilling difficult.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a pouch that is easy to use and allows for easy refilling without increasing costs.

The present invention has the following aspects.
[1] A pouch body having a seal portion in which the peripheries of two opposing flexible films are sealed, a storage chamber in which contents are stored, and a pouring portion communicating with the storage chamber, the pouch body being substantially rectangular in front view, the seal portion having a first side seal portion disposed on one edge of the pouch body in a width direction and extending in a vertical direction, and a second side seal portion disposed on the other edge of the pouch body in the width direction and extending in a vertical direction, the pouring portion being disposed on an upper side of the pouch body near the first side seal portion, and the second side seal portion being disposed on an upper side of the pouch body near the first side seal portion, a handle portion located on the outer side of the insertion hole in the width direction, a first portion located above the insertion hole and extending from an upper end of the handle portion to the inner side in the width direction, and a second portion located above the first portion and spaced from the first portion and extending from the inner side in the width direction to the outer side in the width direction, wherein the pouch body has a finger insertion portion formed in a bag shape that opens to the outer side in the width direction, is recessed inward in the width direction, and connects the first portion and the second portion.
[2] The pouch described in [1], wherein the lower end of the handle is positioned at a position that is at least 1/3 of the maximum vertical dimension of the pouch body from the lower end of the pouch body.
[3] The pouch described in [1] or [2], wherein the finger insertion section has a first film section located on one side of the stacking direction and a second film section located on the other side of the stacking direction, and at least one of the first film section and the second film section has an area at an outer end in the width direction that does not face the other of the first film section and the second film section.
[4] A pouch described in any one of [1] to [3], wherein the position of the inner end of the finger insertion section in the width direction is located more inward in the width direction than the position of the inner end of the insertion hole in the width direction.
[5] A pouch as described in [4], wherein the edge of the second side seal portion, which is located more inward in the width direction than the insertion hole and the finger insertion portion, is inclined in a direction toward the inside in the width direction as it moves from the bottom to the top.
[6] The pouch according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the content is contained in the storage chamber in an amount of 1.0 L or more and 3.5 L or less.
[7] The pouch described in any one of [1] to [6], wherein the pouch body has a corner cutting portion that slopes upward at a corner on one side of the width direction adjacent to the upper edge, and the seal portion has an inclined seal portion that extends from the first side seal portion to the upper edge along the slope of the corner cutting portion, and a spout that is welded to the inclined seal portion and protrudes from the pouch body.
[8] The pouch according to any one of [1] to [7], having a gusset portion provided at the bottom of the pouch body.

The present invention provides a pouch that is easy to use and allows for easy refilling without increasing costs.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a first embodiment of a pouch 1 of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a refilling operation using the pouch 1 of the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a front view showing a refilling operation using the pouch 1 of the second embodiment. 13 is an enlarged front view of the periphery of an insertion hole 51 and a handle portion 52 in the sample of Comparative Example 2. FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the pouch of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs.
The following embodiment shows one aspect of the present invention, does not limit the present invention, and can be modified as desired within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. In addition, in the following drawings, the scale and number of each structure are different from the actual structure in order to make each configuration easier to understand.

<First embodiment of pouch>
FIG. 1 is a front view showing a first embodiment of a pouch 1 of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1 , the pouch 1 has a pouch body 10 that is generally rectangular when viewed from the front, and a spout 20 .

The pouch body 10 has two opposing flexible films (front film 12, back film 14) whose peripheries are sealed, and has an upper edge 13, a first side edge 15, a second side edge 17, and a lower edge 19 formed on the periphery. That is, a sealed portion 10a is formed on the periphery of the pouch body 10. A storage chamber 11 for storing a liquid composition or the like is formed inside the pouch body 10. The first side edge 15 is a side edge located on one side in the width direction of the pouch body 10 (the left side in FIG. 1). The second side edge 17 is a side edge located on the other side in the width direction of the pouch body 10 (the right side in FIG. 1). In the following description, the one side in the width direction may be simply referred to as the "left side", and the other side in the width direction may be simply referred to as the "right side".

In the pouch body 10, the bottom 16a is folded into the storage chamber 11 to form a gusset portion 16. The bottom 16a has a folded edge 16b formed on the side of the upper edge 13. The side edges of the bottom 16a are sandwiched and sealed between the front film 12 and the back film 14. The lower edge of the bottom 16a is sealed to both the front film 12 and the back film 14. The form of the gusset portion 16 is not limited to this.
Therefore, the pouch 1 of this embodiment is a standing pouch.
Before being filled with the contents (liquid composition), the upper edge 13 of the pouch 1 is not sealed and is open.

In a front view, a straight corner cutting portion 18 is formed at the upper end of the pouch body 10. The corner cutting portion 18 is formed at a corner formed by the upper edge 13 and the first side edge 15 adjacent to the upper edge 13. The corner cutting portion 18 is inclined upward (i.e., in the direction of the upper edge 13).
The corners of the pouch body 10 are formed with arc-shaped corner cuts at three corners except for the corner where the corner cut portion 18 is formed.

The spout (pouring portion) 20 is provided in the corner cutting portion 18. The base end 22 of the spout 20 is sandwiched and fixed between the front film 12 and the back film 14 at the inclined seal portion of the seal portion 10a (described later) located in the corner cutting portion 18. The spout 20 communicates with the storage chamber 11 at the base end 22. The spout 20 protrudes outward from the pouch body 10.

The seal portion 10 a has a first side seal portion 31 , a second side seal portion 32 , an inclined seal portion 33 and a top seal portion 34 .
The top seal portion 34 is located between the inclined seal portion 33 and the second side seal portion 32 and is disposed along the upper edge 13. The top seal portion 34 is a region that forms an opening of the upper edge 13 in the pouch 1 before the contents (liquid composition) are filled. In the manufacture of the pouch 1, the inclined seal portion 33, the first side seal portion 31, and the second side seal portion 32 are sealed in advance, and then the contents are filled in a state in which the inclined seal portion 33, the first side seal portion 31, and the second side seal portion 32 are formed, and then the upper edge 13 is sealed to form the top seal portion 34. At this time, the top seal portion 34 is sealed by overlapping with the inclined seal portion 33 and the second side seal portion 32 so that no gaps are left at the boundary between the top seal portion 34 and the inclined seal portion 33 and the boundary between the top seal portion 34 and the second side seal portion 32. However, the top seal portion 34 in this embodiment is defined as being formed in the range between the inclined seal portion 33 and the second side seal portion 32 in the width direction without considering the overlap.

The first side seal portion 31 is formed along the first side edge 15 and extends in the up-down direction.
The inclined seal portion 33 extends from the upper end of the first side seal portion 31 along the inclination of the corner cutting portion 18 to the upper edge 13. The right edge of the inclined seal portion 33 extends in the vertical direction and is perpendicular to the upper edge 13. The spout 20 described above is welded to the inclined seal portion 33.
That is, the spout 20 is disposed on the upper side of the pouch body 10 near the first side seal portion 31 .

The second side seal portion 32 is formed along the second side edge 17 and extends in the up-down direction.
The second side seal portion 32 has an insertion hole 51 , a handle portion 52 , a first portion 61 , a second portion 62 , and a third portion 63 .

The insertion hole 51 is an ellipse extending in the vertical direction. The insertion hole 51 penetrates in the stacking direction of the front film 12 and the back film 14 (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1). It is preferable that the width dimension and the length dimension in the vertical direction of the insertion hole 51 are formed to a size that allows, for example, four fingers, from the index finger to the little finger, to be inserted in a line.

The handle portion 52 is located on the outer side of the insertion hole 51 in the width direction. The handle portion 52 is a linear area that extends vertically and is located between the outer edge of the insertion hole 51 in the width direction and the second side edge 17.

If the maximum dimension in the up-down direction of pouch body 10 is H (mm) and the distance from lower edge 19, which is the lower end of pouch body 10, to the lower end of handle portion 52 is H1 (mm), then distance H1 is preferably greater than or equal to 1/3 and less than or equal to 1/2 of the maximum dimension H, and more preferably greater than or equal to 1/3 and less than or equal to 2/5.
If the distance H1 is less than ⅓ of the maximum dimension H, there is a possibility that the handle portion 52 may interfere with the bonding portion of the gusset portion 16. If the distance H1 is more than ½ of the maximum dimension H, there is a possibility that the stability during the refilling operation may decrease.
By positioning handle portion 52 at a distance H1 that is greater than 1/3 and less than 1/2 of the maximum vertical dimension H of pouch body 10, stability during refilling operations can be ensured, and handle portion 52 does not interfere with the bonded portion of gusset portion 16, resulting in good productivity.

The first portion 61 is located above the insertion hole 51 and extends inward in the width direction from the upper end of the handle portion 52 at the second side edge 17. The upper edge of the first portion 61 is inclined upward as it moves inward in the width direction from the second side edge 17.

The second portion 62 is disposed above the first portion 61 with a gap therebetween. The second portion 62 extends from the inner side in the width direction to the outer side in the width direction to the second side edge 17. The second portion 62 is inclined in the upward direction as it moves toward the outer side in the width direction.

The third portion 63 connects an inner end of the first portion 61 in the width direction to an inner end of the second portion 62 in the width direction. The third portion 63 has a semicircular shape that opens to the outside in the width direction. The first portion 61, the second portion 62, and the third portion 63 are formed in a U-shape that opens to the outside in the width direction.
Alternatively, the third portion 63 may not be provided, and the first portion 61 and the second portion 62 may be formed in a V-shape such that the first portion 61 and the second portion 62 are connected at their inner ends in the width direction.

Pouch body 10 has finger insertion section 70. Finger insertion section 70 is formed in a bag shape that opens to the outside in the width direction, is recessed to the inside in the width direction, and connects first portion 61, second portion 62, and third portion 63. Finger insertion section 70 has an arc shape with a radius R on the inside in the width direction, and the dimension of finger insertion section 70 in the up-down direction increases toward the outside in the width direction.
Regarding the vertical dimension of finger insertion section 70, maximum height H2 is preferably 45 to 70 mm, more preferably 50 to 60 mm. Maximum width W2 is preferably 40 to 60 mm, more preferably 45 to 55 mm. Radius R is preferably 15 to 25 mm, more preferably 15 to 22 mm.

The position of the inner end in the width direction of finger insertion section 70 recessed inward in the width direction is located further inward in the width direction than the position of the inner end in the width direction of insertion hole 51.
Since the position of the inner end of the finger insertion section 70 in the width direction is located further inward in the width direction than the position of the inner end of the insertion hole 51 in the width direction, for example, when the index finger through little finger are inserted into the insertion hole 51 to grip the handle portion 52, the thumb, which protrudes inward in the width direction from the insertion hole 51, can be inserted into the finger insertion section 70.

The edge 32a of the second side seal 32, which is located widthwise inward of the insertion hole 51 and the finger insertion section 70, is inclined inward in the widthwise direction as it moves from the bottom to the top. If the edge 32a of the second side seal 32 extends downward from a position widthwise inward of the finger insertion section 70 without inclining, the capacity of the storage chamber 11 will be reduced, and it will be necessary to increase the maximum width of the pouch body 10 to ensure a large capacity. By inclining the edge 32a of the second side seal 32, the reduction in the capacity of the storage chamber 11 can be minimized.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the finger insertion section 70 has a first film section 72 located on the front side, which is one side of the stacking direction of the back film 14 of the front film 12, and a second film section 74 located on the back side, which is the other side of the stacking direction.

The first film portion 72 is formed by extending the front film 12 sealed at the second side seal portion 32 from the second side seal portion 32 to the area surrounded by the first portion 61, the second portion 62, and the third portion 63. The second film portion 74 is formed by extending the back film 14 sealed at the second side seal portion 32 from the second side seal portion 32 to the area surrounded by the first portion 61, the second portion 62, and the third portion 63. The first film portion 72 and the second film portion 74 face each other in the stacking direction. The first film portion 72 and the second film portion 74 extending to the area surrounded by the first portion 61, the second portion 62, and the third portion 63 form an insertion space 70A into which the thumb F1 is inserted.

At least one of the first film portion 72 and the second film portion 74 has an area at its outer end in the width direction that does not face the other of the first film portion 72 and the second film portion 74 .
In this embodiment, both the first film portion 72 and the second film portion 74 have regions where they do not face each other.

More specifically, the outer end of the first film portion 72 in the width direction has a convex portion 72a and a concave portion 72b. The convex portion 72a is located on the upper side of the first film portion 72. The convex portion 72a has a semicircular shape with an edge that convex outward in the width direction. The concave portion 72b is located on the lower side of the first film portion 72. The concave portion 72b has a semicircular shape with an edge that convex inward in the width direction.

The outer end of the second film portion 74 in the width direction has a recess 74a and a protrusion 74b. The recess 74a is located on the upper side of the second film portion 74. The recess 74a is semicircular in shape with an edge that protrudes inward in the width direction. The protrusion 74b is semicircular in shape with an edge that protrudes outward in the width direction. The outer edges of the first film portion 72 and the second film portion 74 in the width direction are formed approximately line-symmetrically in the width direction.

The edge of the recess 74 a in the second film portion 74 is located more inward in the width direction than the edge of the protrusion 72 a in the first film portion 72 .
Therefore, the first film portion 72 has a region at the protruding portion 72a that does not face the second film portion 74 and is exposed on the rear surface side.
The edge of the recess 72 b of the first film portion 72 is located more inward in the width direction than the edge of the protrusion 74 b of the second film portion 74 .
Therefore, the second film portion 74 has a region at the protruding portion 74b that does not face the first film portion 72 and is exposed to the front side.

The maximum height H of the pouch body 10 (the distance from the lower edge 19 to the upper edge 13) is preferably 280 to 400 mm, and more preferably 290 to 390 mm. If the height H is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the content volume of the pouch body 10 can be increased. If the height H is equal to or less than the upper limit, the pouch body 10 can be more easily displayed on a product shelf.

The maximum width W of the pouch body 10 (the distance from the first side edge 15 to the second side edge 17) is preferably 200 to 300 mm. If the width W is equal to or greater than the above lower limit, the content volume can be increased while the height H of the pouch body 10 is reduced. If the width W is equal to or less than the above upper limit, bending of the upper edge 13 can be better prevented when the liquid composition product is placed in an upright position.

The pouch 1 is a container used for storing a content (liquid composition) of 1.0 L or more and 3.5 L or less (1000 to 3500 mL) in the storage chamber 11. That is, the pouch 1 is a container whose content volume (filling volume) is 1.0 L or more and 3.5 L or less.
If the capacity is less than 1.0 L, consumers will feel that the capacity is small compared to the size of the container, which is not preferable. If the capacity exceeds 3.5 L, the shape will be significantly deformed due to its own weight, and the operability during refilling will decrease. In addition, the filling amount will not be suitable for the size of the container, and production suitability will be lacking. In many pouches 1, the liquid composition is filled by gripping the first side seal portion 31 near the inclination start point with a chuck of the equipment, filling the liquid composition from the top, and sealing the top with a sealer. Therefore, if the capacity exceeds 3.5 L, when the first side seal portion 31 is gripped with a chuck, the liquid composition inside may rise to the top seal portion 34, causing a seal failure.

The filling rate of the liquid composition in the storage chamber 11 is preferably 40 to 75% by volume, and more preferably 45 to 70% by volume.
If the filling rate is less than 40% by volume, consumers will feel that the volume is small compared to the size of the container. In addition, the filling amount will be small, which will result in unnecessary packaging costs and high costs. If the filling rate exceeds 75% by volume, the filling amount will not be appropriate for the size of the container, resulting in a lack of productivity. Furthermore, if the filling rate exceeds 75% by volume, as described above, when the first side seal portion 31 is gripped with a zipper, the liquid composition inside may rise to the top seal portion 34, causing a seal failure.

The above-mentioned filling rate is a value calculated by the following formula.
Filling rate (volume %)=(filling amount of liquid composition)÷(full capacity of storage chamber)×100

The front film 12 is not particularly limited as long as it is flexible and can be sealed with the back film 14 and the film of the bottom portion 16a, and any known film can be used.
The front film 12 may be, for example, a multi-layer laminate film having at least an outer layer and an inner layer.

Examples of the outer layer include a biaxially oriented polyester film, a biaxially oriented polyamide film, and oriented nylon (ONY). Examples of the inner layer include a film made of a heat-sealable resin such as low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), polypropylene, or metallocene polyethylene. The multilayer laminate film may include a gas barrier film such as an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer film, an aluminum foil, or a film on which an inorganic material such as silicon oxide is vapor-deposited (e.g., aluminum-vapor-deposited polyethylene terephthalate: hereinafter abbreviated as aluminum-vapor-deposited PET). Each component of the multilayer laminate film includes an environmentally friendly material.
Examples of environmentally friendly materials include biomass plastics made from plants, recycled plastic materials made from recycled products and waste materials from manufacturing processes, and biodegradable plastics.

The flexible film in the trunk portion of pouch body 10 is preferably composed of three to four layers including polyethylene.
If the flexible film has fewer than three layers, the standing property will be poor, resulting in poor appearance, which is not preferred. If the flexible film has more than four layers, the cost will increase, which is not preferred. By making the flexible film three layers, it is possible to contribute to cost reduction. By making the flexible film four layers, it is possible to enhance the effect of suppressing bending.

The layer configuration of the three-layer laminate film is preferably ONY/aluminum-vapor-deposited PET/LLDPE, PET/ONY/LLDPE, ONY/aluminum/LLDPE, PET/PET/LLDPE, or PET/aluminum-vapor-deposited PET/LLDPE, and more preferably ONY/aluminum-vapor-deposited PET/LLDPE, PET/ONY/LLDPE, or ONY/PET/LLDPE.
The layer configuration of the four-layer laminate film is as follows: PET/aluminum-deposited PET/ONY/LLDPE, PET/aluminum/ONY/LLDPE, PET/PET/ONY/LLDPE, ONY/aluminum-deposited PET/ONY/LLDPE, ONY/aluminum/ONY/LLDPE, ONY/PET/ONY/LLDPE, ONY/aluminum-deposited PET/PET/LLDPE, ONY Preferred are ONY/aluminum/PET/LLDPE and ONY/PET/PET/LLDPE, and more preferred are PET/aluminum-vapor-deposited PET/ONY/LLDPE, PET/aluminum/ONY/LLDPE, PET/PET/ONY/LLDPE, ONY/aluminum-vapor-deposited PET/ONY/LLDPE, ONY/aluminum/ONY/LLDPE and ONY/PET/ONY/LLDPE.
The layer structure is indicated in order from the outer layer, i.e., "ONY/aluminum-deposited PET/LLDPE" means that the outer layer is ONY, the inner layer is LLDPE, and the intermediate layer between the outer layer and the inner layer is aluminum-deposited PET.

The thickness of each layer of the multilayer laminate film is determined taking into consideration the content volume of the pouch body 10, the composition of the liquid composition to be contained, etc. The thickness of each layer of the multilayer laminate film is preferably 10 to 30 μm for the outer layer, 10 to 60 μm for the intermediate layer, and 80 to 200 μm for the inner layer.
The total thickness (overall thickness) of the front film 12 is preferably 140 to 240 μm, and more preferably 160 to 240 μm.

The layer structure, thickness of each layer, and overall thickness of the back film 14 are the same as those of the front film 12. The layer structure, thickness of each layer, and overall thickness of the back film 14 may be the same as those of the front film 12 or may be different.

The thickness of the flexible film in the trunk portion of the pouch body 10 is preferably 140 to 240 μm.
When the thickness of the flexible film is less than 140 μm, bending is likely to occur and standing property is deteriorated, resulting in poor appearance, which is not preferable, whereas when the thickness of the flexible film is more than 240 μm, the cost increases, which is not preferable.
By setting the thickness of the flexible film in the trunk portion of the pouch body 10 to 140 to 240 μm, bending can be suppressed and appearance can be ensured without increasing costs.

The layer structure of the two-layered bottom portion 16a is preferably ONY/LLDPE or aluminum-deposited PET/LLDPE, and more preferably ONY/LLDPE.
The layer structure of the three-layered bottom portion 16a is preferably ONY/ONY/LLDPE, PET/ONY/LLDPE, or PET/PET/LLDPE, and more preferably ONY/ONY/LLDPE.
The thickness range of each layer is selected depending on the volume and composition of the liquid contained, with the outer layer being 10 to 30 μm, the intermediate layer being 10 to 80 μm in total, and the inner layer being 80 to 200 μm, with the total thickness being preferably 140 μm to 240 μm, and more preferably 160 μm to 240 μm.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the pouch 1 during refilling.
When performing a refilling operation using the pouch 1 having the above configuration, first, as shown in FIG. 3 , one of the fingers, for example the thumb F1, is inserted inside the bag-shaped finger insertion portion 70, and the other finger F2 is inserted into the insertion hole 51 to grasp the handle portion 52.
Alternatively, the finger F2 may be inserted into the insertion hole 51 first, and then the thumb F1 may be inserted into the pouch-shaped finger insertion portion 70.

When inserting the thumb F1 into the finger insertion section 70, if the first film section 72 and the second film section 74 are joined and not open, the thumb F1 can be hooked onto the convex section 72a or the convex section 74b, which is the area where the first film section 72 and the second film section 74 do not face each other, and pushed toward the front or back side to form an opening in the finger insertion section 70, making it possible to easily insert the thumb F1 into the inside of the finger insertion section 70.

After this, while gripping the handle 52, the pouch body 10 is lifted, the inclination angle of the pouch body 10 is adjusted so that the spout 20 faces downward, and the liquid inside the storage chamber 11 is poured into the destination container.

When adjusting the inclination angle of the pouch body 10, especially if the pouch body 10 is large-capacity and heavy, there is a possibility that the pouch body 10 may wobble toward the front and back sides relative to the handle portion 52; however, because the thumb F1 inserted into the finger insertion portion 70 is held by the first film portion 72 and the second film portion 74, the spout 20 can be stably and easily poured into the circumferential edge of the mouth of the destination container. Therefore, problems such as the liquid poured out of the pouch 1 spilling outside the destination container during the refilling operation are unlikely to occur, and the refilling operation can be performed stably.

Additionally, the edge 32a of the second side seal portion 32 is inclined inward in the width direction from the bottom to the top, and includes a horizontal component.
Therefore, when pouch body 10 is tilted, the weight of the liquid contained in storage chamber 11 applies a force to pouch body 10 in a direction that causes pouch body 10 to hang down relative to second side seal portion 32. By applying a force to pouch body 10 in a direction that causes pouch body 10 to hang down relative to second side seal portion 32, the force that causes pouch body 10 to wobble toward the front and back sides is reduced, allowing for a more stable refilling operation.

As described above, in the pouch 1 of this embodiment, by holding the handle portion 52 with the fingers F2 while inserting and holding the thumb F1 into the finger insertion portion 70, refilling can be performed easily with excellent operability without increasing costs.

In addition, in the pouch 1 of this embodiment, the lower end of the handle portion 52 is positioned at a position that is at least 1/3 of the maximum vertical dimension H of the pouch body 10 from the lower end of the pouch body 10, ensuring stability during refilling operations and providing good manufacturability because the handle portion 52 does not interfere with the bonding portion of the gusset portion 16.

In addition, in the pouch 1 of this embodiment, at least one of the first film portion 72 and the second film portion 74 has an area at the outer end in the width direction that does not face the other of the first film portion 72 and the second film portion 74. Therefore, even when the first film portion 72 and the second film portion 74 are joined and not open, the thumb F1 can be easily inserted into the finger insertion portion 70 by hooking the thumb F1 on the convex portion 72a or the convex portion 74b, which is the area where the first film portion 72 and the second film portion 74 do not face each other, and pushing it toward the front side or the back side to form an opening in the finger insertion portion 70.

Furthermore, in the pouch 1 of this embodiment, the edge 32a of the second side seal portion 32 is inclined inward in the width direction from the bottom to the top, so that the reduction in the capacity of the storage chamber 11 can be minimized and the force that causes the pouch body 10 to wobble toward the front and back sides is reduced, allowing for more stable refilling operations.

<Second embodiment of pouch>
Next, a second embodiment of the pouch 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
In this figure, the same elements as those in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a refilling operation using the pouch 1 of the second embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 4, the pouch 1 of this embodiment has a pouring portion 20A formed as a part of the sealed portion 10a instead of a spout.

The pouring section 20A is located on the upper side of the pouch body 10, near the first side seal section 31. The pouring section 20A extends upward from the pouch body 10, with the upward direction being the pouring direction. The pouring section 20A is surrounded by the seal sections 21A, 21B, and 21C that constitute part of the seal section 10a.

Seal portion 21A is located on an extension of first side seal portion 31. Sealed portion 21B extends to the right from the upper end of sealed portion 21A. Sealed portion 21C extends downward from the right end of sealed portion 21B. Sealed portion 21C is parallel to sealed portion 21A.

The spout portion 20A has an opening assisting line 23. The opening assisting line 23 extends in the width direction and is provided across the sealed portion 21A and the sealed portion 21C. The opening assisting line 23 is formed, for example, by a half-cut line.
The other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment.

In addition to being able to obtain the same effects and advantages as the first embodiment, the pouch 1 of this embodiment can also be applied to a pouch body 10 that does not have a spout and has a pouring section 20A where the nozzle opens via an opening assist line 23, allowing stable refilling operations.

The following examples will make the effects of the present invention clearer. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following examples, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

(Example 1, Comparative Examples 1 and 2)
In this example, samples were prepared for Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2. A pouch with a full capacity of 2600 mL was filled to a capacity of 1200 mL (about 46%).
In each sample pouch body, the first side seal portion and the second side seal portion each had a minimum width of 7.5 mm, and the top seal portion had a width of 8.0 mm.
The pouch body of each sample had a maximum widthwise length W of 200 mm, a maximum height H of 340 mm, a distance H1 of 120 mm, and a bottom fold width of 60 mm.
The flexible film of the body of the pouch body of each sample was a three-layer structure of ONY 15 μm/aluminum-deposited PET 12 μm/LLDPE 150 μm.
The bottom flexible film in the pouch body of each sample was a bi-layer of ONY 25 μm/LLDPE 150 μm.
Each sample has the spout shown in the first embodiment above.
The material of the spout in each sample was high density polyethylene (HDPE).
The inner diameter of the spout in each sample was 8.7 mm and the length was 22 mm.

The sample of Example 1 had a pouch-shaped finger insertion portion as shown in the above embodiment.
The dimensions of the finger insertion portion were a maximum height H2 of 55 mm, a maximum width W2 of 50 mm, and a radius R of 18 mm.
The sample of Comparative Example 1 had the same configuration as Example 1, except that it did not have a finger insertion portion.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged front view of the periphery of insertion hole 51 and handle portion 52 in the sample of Comparative Example 2. As shown in FIG.
The sample of Comparative Example 2 had the same configuration as Example 1, except that it did not have a finger insertion portion and, as shown in Fig. 5, finger hook portion 75 was provided above insertion hole 51 and handle portion 52. Finger hook portion 75 was a semicircular cutout recessed inward in the width direction from second side edge 17.

(Evaluation method)
<Usability>
A subject poured the liquid composition content from each liquid composition product into a bottle (refilling). The degree of handling during refilling was evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria. For Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, nine subjects refilled each example. For each example, the average evaluation scores of each subject were calculated and compared, and an average score of 5.0 or more was evaluated as ○ (OK), and an average score of less than 5.0 was evaluated as × (NG).

<Evaluation criteria>
7 points: Very good.
6 points: Quite good.
5 points: Fairly good.
4 points: Neither.
3 points: Not very good.
2 points: Not very good.
1 point: Very poor.

As shown in Table 1, the sample of Example 1 having a finger insertion portion was given a good evaluation.
On the other hand, the samples of Comparative Examples 1 and 2, which did not have a finger insertion section, did not receive a good evaluation. Also, the sample of Comparative Example 2, which had a finger hook section instead of a finger insertion section, did not receive a good evaluation.
From these results, it was confirmed that the effects of the present invention can be achieved by applying the present invention.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the attached drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the examples. The shapes and combinations of the components shown in the above examples are merely examples, and various modifications can be made based on design requirements, etc., without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, a configuration is illustrated in which both the first film portion 72 and the second film portion 74 have an area at their outer ends in the width direction that does not face the other of the first film portion 72 and the second film portion 74, but this configuration is not limited to this.
For example, one of the first film portion 72 and the second film portion 74 may have an area that does not face the other.

1...pouch, 10...pouch body, 10a...sealed portion, 11...container, 12...front film (flexible film), 14...back film (flexible film), 16...gusset portion, 18...corner cut portion, 20...spout (pouring portion), 20A...pouring portion, 31...first side seal portion, 32...second side seal portion, 33...inclined seal portion, 51...insertion hole, 52...handle portion, 61...first portion, 62...second portion, 70...finger insertion portion, 72...first film portion, 74...second film portion

Claims (8)

The pouch body has a seal portion in which the peripheries of two opposing flexible films are sealed, a storage chamber in which the contents are stored, and a pouring portion communicating with the storage chamber, and is substantially rectangular in front view;
The seal portion has a first side seal portion arranged on one edge of the width direction of the pouch body and extending in the vertical direction, and a second side seal portion arranged on the other edge of the width direction and extending in the vertical direction,
The pouring portion is disposed on the upper side of the pouch body toward the first side seal portion,
The second side seal portion is
An insertion hole extending in the vertical direction and penetrating the two flexible films in the lamination direction;
A handle portion located on an outer side of the insertion hole in the width direction;
a first portion located above the insertion hole and extending inward in the width direction from an upper end of the handle portion;
a second portion disposed above the first portion at a distance from the first portion and extending from an inner side in the width direction to an outer side in the width direction;
having
The pouch body has a finger insertion portion formed in a bag shape that opens to the outside in the width direction, is recessed to the inside in the width direction, and connects the first portion and the second portion. The lower end of the handle portion is disposed at a position that is 1/3 or more of the maximum dimension of the pouch body in the vertical direction from the lower end of the pouch body.
2. The pouch of claim 1. The finger insertion portion is
A first film portion located on one side in the stacking direction;
A second film portion located on the other side in the stacking direction;
having
At least one of the first film portion and the second film portion has an area at an outer end in the width direction that does not face the other of the first film portion and the second film portion.
3. The pouch according to claim 1 or 2. a position of an inner end portion of the finger insertion portion in the width direction is located more inward in the width direction than a position of an inner end portion of the insertion hole in the width direction;
3. The pouch according to claim 1 or 2. an edge portion of the second side seal portion located on the inner side of the insertion hole and the finger insertion portion in the width direction is inclined inwardly in the width direction from the lower side to the upper side;
5. The pouch of claim 4. The content is stored in the storage chamber in an amount of 1.0 L or more and 3.5 L or less.
3. The pouch according to claim 1 or 2. The pouch body has a corner cut portion that is inclined upward at one corner portion in the width direction adjacent to the upper end edge,
The seal portion includes an inclined seal portion extending from the first side seal portion to the upper edge along an inclination of the corner cutting portion;
A spout welded to the inclined seal portion and protruding from the pouch body;
having
3. The pouch according to claim 1 or 2. A gusset portion is provided at the bottom of the pouch body.
3. The pouch according to claim 1 or 2.

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